Allergists and Immunologists

"I feel like someone is sitting on my chest, squeezing my lungs to keep me from breathing" — that's how American Kate G. describes what happens to her during an asthma attack. Kate is diagnosed with asthma and has severe allergies to smoke, dust, cold air, and food mold, and the moment she's exposed to any of these, she's hit with an asthma attack that usually sends her into a panic and leaves her unable to breathe, forcing her to rush for the inhaler she never lets out of her sight so she can breathe again and feel calm and relaxed. According to World Health Organization statistics, asthma affected around 262 million people in 2019 and caused 461,000 deaths worldwide, and it usually affects people who already suffer from allergic conditions. When we talk about allergies, you should know they're a health condition — an allergic reaction that occurs when a person's immune system reacts to certain outside triggers, whether that's certain foods, medications, vaccines, or inhaling or touching dust, certain plants, pets, or insect bites. There are countless allergy symptoms, but the most common are coughing, sneezing, rashes, itchy eyes, a runny nose, breathing problems, and asthma attacks. Allergies are among the most widespread conditions in the world — WHO estimates suggest that 10-40% of the population in every country has some specific type of allergy, and in Europe alone there are 150 million people with allergies. That's why allergy and immunology is one of the most important medical specialties — there isn't a single person in this world who doesn't visit an allergist/immunologist at least once a year. It's the allergist who's responsible for identifying the different types of allergies that affect people, prescribing the right medication and treatment for them, and following up on the health of asthma patients.

Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa